TRENTON — Slade Heathcott knows he is walking a fine line, but it’s the only one he knows how to walk.

The Yankees’ top draft choice in 2009, Heathcott has distinguished himself in center field in part due to his ultra-aggressive, hard-nosed playing style. While that is sure to endear him to fans, there have been increasingly loud whispers around the game that his approach has crossed the line from good hustle to reckless self-endangerment.

Now 22, his ascent to the Bronx has been hampered by a seemingly endless succession of injuries. Last season was the first in the five years since he was drafted that he played in over 80 games, and that was despite suffering from patellar tendinitis.

Heathcott had patellar debridement surgery on his right knee this offseason, and after starting the season in extended spring training, finally rejoined the Thunder Thursday.

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“We’re all entitled to our own opinion, and that’s a big thing for me,” Heathcott said, when asked about the reckless label. “Whether I like sausage pizza and somebody likes pepperoni pizza, it doesn’t matter. That’s their choice of wording. I just try to play the game respectfully. I do it because of me, and because of my grandfathers and the way they worked and still work. I just feel like that’s how its supposed to be played.”

The Texarkana, Arkansas native admitted that he was not yet back to 100 percent physically after almost eight months of extended rehab, which he said he did for up to eight hours per day. Still, he was in the lineup against the Erie SeaWolves, going 0-for-4 but more importantly not suffering any setbacks.

“Part of the key is how he going to feel tomorrow,” manager Tony Franklin said. “Is he going to be sore? Aches and pains? These are the things we have to concern ourselves with.”

There is reason to be optimistic. While his slash-and-burn style can produce scary moments, none of his major injuries have occurred during games. Instead, they’ve come in training, so Heathcott is hoping that a smarter, more monitored approach to his regime will keep him healthy.

“I’m still going to have my good days and my bad days, and I know that,” he said. “It’s a tricky ordeal. I’m trying to cut back when I can, and still be able to compete and help this team.”

The Yankees certainly hope so, too. Though he hit just .261 in 103 games for the Thunder last year, he came on strong late and was a candidate to join Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre despite the surgery. Rated the second-best prospect in the organization by Baseball America, he has the tools to make it to the Bronx by 2015 or 2016.

A more immediate concern is the fact that the Thunder also have Mason Williams — the organizations No. 3 prospect — in center field, and promising power hitter Peter O’Brien in right. Though Williams is hitting just .188, he remains an elite defensive player worthy of playing time.

Franklin knows his roster crunch will probably necessitate a move somewhere down the line.

“I think the intention is for (Heathcott) to be here for a while to find out where he is,” he said. “If he starts to take off — or if anyone starts to take off — we’ll probably make an adjustment to the roster. We’ve got an overabundance of players here and were going to have to make a move somewhere.”

If Heathcott’s right knee remains something of a question, it was also clear Thursday his sense of humor remains intact. When asked about his pizza analogy, he continued to roll with it.

“I like ‘em both,” he smiled. “Maybe even go meat-lovers.”

About the Author

Trentonian sportswriter and utility man. New York Jets, Princeton basketball, Mercer/Bucks county high schools, Trenton Thunder. Tulane grad. Former Times-Picayune and NFL.com intern. Reach the author at nperuffo@trentonian.com
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